Valley Yarns Seedling Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Seedling Baby Blanket

What Is Being Made

The Seedling Baby Blanket is a soft, square baby blanket designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This knitted blanket features a unique mitered square construction that grows seamlessly from the center outward. The finished blanket measures 28, 32, or 36 inches square, making it an ideal size for a newborn or young child. The design works equally well for boys or girls, thanks to its charming color palette.

Techniques Used

This blanket is constructed using several key knitting techniques that make it an excellent beginner-friendly project. The primary technique is seamless construction, which means the blanket is knitted as one continuous piece without requiring seaming. The blanket is worked flat on circular needles, allowing for easy stitch management across the width of the growing blanket. The design features striped color work, with different colored yarns introduced at strategic points to create visual interest and define the blanket's structure. The blanket begins with a small mitered square at the center and expands outward through increases, with additional strips picked up and knit around the edges to complete the square shape.

Stitches Used

The Seedling Baby Blanket relies on fundamental knitting stitches, making it accessible to beginners. The primary stitch throughout the blanket is garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row. This classic stitch produces a textured, reversible fabric that is both durable and visually appealing. The pattern also incorporates make one (m1) increases, worked by knitting into the back of the strand running between stitches, to shape the mitered square center. Additionally, the pattern uses pick up and knit techniques to add the border strips, where stitches are picked up from the edges of previously completed sections and knitted to create the blanket's perimeter.

Materials

The Seedling Baby Blanket is crafted using Valley Yarns Superwash, a high-quality yarn composed of 100% Extrafine Merino wool. This yarn choice makes the blanket soft, breathable, and easy to care for—an important consideration for baby garments. The yardage requirement is 50 grams per 97 yards per skein. Depending on the finished size selected, the project requires between 11 and 15 total skeins: 4, 5, or 6 skeins each of color 612 Grass (color A) and color 694 Spring Leaf (color B), plus 3, 4, or 5 skeins of color 545 Brownie (color C). The blanket is worked on US size 7 (4.5mm) circular needles measuring 40 inches in length. The recommended gauge is approximately 4.5 stitches per 1 inch in garter stitch, which helps ensure the blanket reaches the desired finished measurements.